04/02/09

Horrible experience

by Prizz

I second the review below. Could not have said it better. The food is quite good, however the way you are treated from the moment you walk in the door is not worth a morsel.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Everything besides food

03/04/09

The worst establishment in Philadelphia

by agentanderson1

The problems start at the door. The bouncers are most rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful doormen that I have ever encountered. Once inside you will find the bartenders are slow, sluggish, and overcharge for drinks by tipping themselves. Management is cocky and has no respect for their customers. There are several great venues in Philadelphia to enjoy for dinner and nightlife but Pearl is not one of them. Do Not Visit Pearl even as a last resort.

• Pros: They won?t last long
• Cons: The worst establishment in Philadelphia

02/14/09

Lots of potential, but not recommended.

by srobbins27

This was my first time dining at Akoya, my fiance and I went on Valentine's Day and I doubt we will return.

The downstairs bar is a nice area to relax (albeit very small) and the drink menu had some eclectic choices and lots of sake options. Our food, as far as taste goes, was good. Portions are substantial.

However, we ordered Peking Duck Spring Rolls, which have minced duck meat in them, and I bit into a gigantic piece of bone

Now, I am not the type to complain or look for "freebies". I have been in the service industry and our waiter was very nice, so I made sure I was very polite when making him aware of the peice of bone, which I had wiped off and placed on my plate for him to see. I recieved a brief apology from the waiter, but to be honest, I expected the charge to be wiped off of the check.

To my surprise, when the bill came, we were charged for the spring rolls. This was definetley dissapointing.

On top of that, tables are VERY tightly packed together. One would have to literally move the table a foot or so for even the slimmest of people to maneuver through. It also does not allow for much privacy, as you can hear every word the people are saying next to you.

To sum it up, if Akoya was a bit bigger, and the food was more thoroughly prepared, this would be a 3-4 star establishment. Instead, my fiancee and I both agreed to go back to some of our other favorites in the city and skip Akoya.

• Pros: Nice drink menu. Decent prices. Nice location.
• Cons: Careless chefs. Tables are way too close together.

02/08/09

You Deffiently Need To Go To Pearl.

by phillygirl101

For my birthday my friends wanted to take me out to bar/lounge/restaurant type place. When they told me i was going to Pearl i thought ugh i dont want to go to another place like that! But as soon as i walked in the door i realized it was very different from any other place. It was very trendy and the atmosphere was great! Now it is my favorite place to go on a Friday and Saturday night! I even met my boyfriend there a few weeks ago! If you ever want to go to a good place in Philly, Pearl is a MUST.

• Pros: The DJ is great!
• Cons: Can get very busy so make reservations.

02/07/09

Pearl

by liveandlaguh217

Recently, my friends and I went to Pearl for dinner. We had a great time and the drinks were ah-mazing! The DJ played some really great music and we couldnt stop dancing! We are deff going back next Friday night! We couldn't belive we haven't found Pearl before!

• Pros: Basically everything
• Cons: Parking

02/07/09

Great drinks!!

by yoga22

My friends and I went to Pearl and had a Great night! We loved the martini list, the mojito was the best I have ever had. The food was great to share in a group, and the service was friendly and attentive. We are planning on going back in a few weeks!

• Pros:  Great Salads, drinks, attmosphere
• Cons: parking

02/07/09

Best Restuarant In Philly

by Artmay

My wife and I recently went back to Pearl after they changed their menu and renamed the restaurant Akoya. We brought several friends and we all loved the changes that were made. We shared numerous appetizers with cocktails while we decided what to order as our entree. The women ordered several of their new martinis, which we all sampled and loved. Several of us could not decide whether to continue ordering more appetizers and salads or to order dinner. We then made a split decision with three of us ordering the short rib sliders, the hamachi tacos and the calamari salad. The other three of us ordered dinner. The lobster surf and turf was great as well as the Miso Pork Belly and the Orange Crispy Duck. We shared everything and no one was disappointed with what was ordered. Do not miss this restaurant, it is great.

The owners of Pearl have split off the lounge's first-floor pan-Asian restaurant and have given it a new name, Akoya, which is a special kind of pearl.

by Tara Nurin

In Short
The resto-lounge formerly known as Pearl has split in two to cultivate separate identities for the upstairs lounge, still called Pearl, and the first floor restaurant, dubbed Akoya. The décor has been transformed to create a much warmer setting with a new zebra-wood bar and a 35-foot abstract mural, whle the menu has also changed significantly, starting with a drastic reduction in prices. The food is still labeled Asian gastro, meaning that dishes derive from various individual Asian nations, but now you can order from an array of different sections: snacks, tempura, yakatori, small dishes, noodles and rice and hot dishes.

12/13/08

two words...thong song

by rowlanl1

the thong song only begins to describe the wretched music that my friends and i were forced to endure on a random saturday night. to put it bluntly, i wanted to spoon out my own eyeballs. in the time span of 30 minutes, i heard 6 kanye west songs, basically everything he's ever put out that's popular. please hire a new DJ. only to be followed by $10 dollars to get upstairs and a $3 coat check. who on earth charges that much to hang up a damn coat!!!! then when one of my friends wanted to smoke a cigarette outside she wasn't allowed to take her coat unless she was willing to pay the three bucks again. the crowd was amateur at best, from the coked up gotti boys to the grandfathers checking out the hussies in shorts (on a night where it was 20 degress outside) i was more entertained than ever. these characters offered constant conversation due to their tragic fashion, music, and taste in significant others.

on a lighter note, the staff of pearl was quite pleasant and accomodating. and that's all i'm saying positive!!

basically, just don't do it!!!

• Pros: made me appreciate the other bars i go to much more
• Cons: need i say more?

10/26/08

wonderful

by BarbyDoll44

A really great little restaurant tucked away in Rittenhouse Square.

The food and service were impeccable and the place is lovely. It is a bot crowded and loud but that is overcome by the fine food and service. Do make reservations early.

• Pros: great place good luck